The present invention relates to the field of manufacturing optical systems and, more particularly, to a system for protecting components and subsidiary components of optical systems during their manufacturing and testing processes.
Submarine optical transmission systems carry much of the information that is communicated, for example, between the world""s continents. Submarine optical transmission systems may include such fiber-optic communication devices as optical repeaters, which appear at regular intervals to amplify optical signals traversing an optical link. Such periodic amplification ensures that the transmitted signals do not become so attenuated that they cannot be interpreted at a receiving station. Associated electronic and optical components for the optical repeaters are often placed in a tray (an optical pump tray) as part of the assembly process for the submarine optical transmission system. More generally, optical components may be placed on a tray (an optical tray) for manufacturing, testing, repair or installation purposes.
Portions of submarine optical transmission systems, including optical repeaters and associated components, are intended to remain in-place on the bottom of the ocean under thousands of feet, and even miles, of water for many years. Due to the difficulties encountered when having to repair, replace, or generally service these systems and for cost effectiveness, it is desirable that these systems be highly reliable. Disadvantageously, however, the design life of the components of these systems may be substantially reduced due to external shock caused by electrical, mechanical and electromagnetic impulses acting on the components during the manufacturing and testing processes. Specifically, these mechanical and electrical impulses may degrade the components and necessitate replacement or service at great cost during the design lifetime of the optical system in which the components are located. Accordingly, it is highly desirable that the optical repeaters and associated components be adequately protected against mechanical, electrical, and electromagnetic impulses during the manufacturing and testing processes.
One way of protecting the optical repeaters and associated components would be to use a permanent cover on the tray to protect the contents of the tray against electrical and mechanical impulses. However, access to certain components is required during the manufacturing and testing processes, so that a simple permanent cover is not practicable. On the other hand, a simple removable cover presents problems in that the act of removing or placing the cover on the components often subjects the components to the same mechanical and electrical impulses against which the cover is meant to protect.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a cover for an optical pump tray, and more generally, for optical components situated on an optical tray, which would protect the components of the tray against external shock caused by mechanical, electrical and electromagnetic impulses, would be movable, and would not subject the components to mechanical and electrical impulses during manipulation of the covers for access to the components.
A system for protecting optical components in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes an optical tray containing at least one optical component and a cover removably mountable on the optical tray. The cover has a base with an aperture and a door assembly mounted on the base. The door assembly has at least one door movably positionable over the aperture.